Badly fouled spark plugs Options

[Dave_Darling]

Fuel pressure has also not been tested, despite several suggestions of doing so.

--DD

[TheCabinetmaker]

How does an injector plug not making good contact foul a plug? If it doesn't make contact the injector won't fire. That's not gonna foul a plug!

[timothy_nd28]

The oil filler cap? That is not an air leak point. Removing the cap should have next to no effect on the running of your car, except for the possibility of oil splashing out.

Crazy stuff being said around here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bs.gif)

In addition to what I said about the AFM, there something else that you can do to rule a few things out. I'm sure you have noticed the fuel ring and how the fuel loops around the engine. Disconnect the rubber hoses that attach to the CSV, and build a bypass pipe (a short section of 5/16" brake line). Attach the rubber hoses to this pipe, make sure both sides of this bypass pipe are flared so the rubber hose doesn't pop off while under pressure.

You could also take it a step further by buying some brass barb fittings and a brass T, instead of the brake line pipe. With the fittings assembled, you could have a take off for your fuel pressure gauge. It's up to you on how it's built, it's only temporary.

[87m491]

Not to be too cheeky but have you run it by the rebuilder?!

Hello,

I have a problem on my newly rebuilt 1.8L engine, with L-Jet.


Other slightly strange things.

a) I've noticed the car burns a lot of gas. I barely get 20 mpg in mixed city/highway driving.

b) I have about 600 miles since the rebuild, engine ran well all along.

c) The only other issue with the car is that I can not get the idle right: it seems to idle at 1800 rpm most of the time, but if the engine is well warmed up (after about 1/2 hour of driving) or if I hold off the clutch as I come to a stop until the rpm's come down to 900, it'll idle at 900. I've tried two different throttle bodies, thinking it may be the throttle that sticks, but it behaves the same way with both. I started to suspect that the distributor is sticky and does not retard the idle sometimes.

Any suggestions, highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrei.

[catsltd]

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...t&id=514695.
I know this is not his problem,but this is why I wanted him to look at the connectors to the injectors.It fixed my miss,that I was unable to find.

Good Luck:

[injunmort]

aaaand , we changed the shifter knob, the car
runs great, thanks for all the help

[andreic]

I see I've ignited quite a few passions with my non-firing spark plugs... (Forgive the bad pun.)

I did more testing today. I discovered that I most certainly have a fuel problem: I checked the oil, and it is 1" above the high mark. This time I am certain that I put in the right amount of oil, 3 quarts exactly, and it was halfway between the high and the low mark. So my plan is to first diagnose where the excess oil (i.e. fuel) comes from, and then deal with the oil getting in the cylinders.

A neighbor who is a retired car mechanic and who has worked on Porsches for many years stopped by today. After running the car (poorly) for a couple of minutes we looked at the spark plugs, and he said that one looked like it was looking like it had run ultra rich (lots of soot), and the other three looked like they were slightly wet, but we could not determine if that was gas or oil that was making them wet. (The amount of wetness was slight. Certainly not soaked in oil.)

The plan I made with him was to try to diagnose what I can about excess fuel without running the engine, then try it with new spark plugs and see after running it a few minutes if the spark plugs give a more clear indication of what is wrong.

In the evening I did a couple more things. I bypassed the cold start valve, as Timothy suggested. I also tried to measure fuel pressure as DD suggested (the bypass of the CSV is actually a T-joint, with the leg of the T being a hook-up for a fuel pressure gauge). I don't know if I did something wrong, or something else is a bigger issue, but I did not get any reading of any fuel pressure from the gauge (stayed flat at zero), with the fuel pump running. I think the problem may be with the gauge, since I could clearly hear the fuel running through the system.

I then took out all 4 injectors and tried to see if they leak when there is pressure in the fuel system. They do not. For two of the injectors I even tried to see what happens when grounding the corresponding pin on the ECU connector, and they clearly fired up fuel. I don't know how to tell if their spray pattern was good, but they did roughly what they were supposed to do.

So now I have it down to either the CSV being stuck open (now it is bypassed so it won't matter), or the ECU having gone bad and keeping the injectors open all the time. Whatever it is, it is not a minor adjustment -- the FI system puts out a **ton** of fuel (I must have at least an extra 1-2 quarts of oil more than what I started with, and this is only after running the car for perhaps a total of 10 minutes!).

I did not dare run it with such a fouled oil. My plan for tomorrow is to change the oil (again!!), and try to run it with new spark plugs and the CSV bypassed. If it still runs rough it means the problem was not the CSV, and it is either the ECU, the AFM, or wrong fuel pressure. I have a spare ECU (which was not tested...) so next step after that is to try the spare ECU. If it behaves the same way I'll do more digging with the fuel pressure gauge and the AFM.

I have my work cut out for me... Thanks a lot to all who volunteered opinions.

[injunmort]

the csv, of course, why didnt i think of that? wtf is a csv so that i can think of it? i just cant resist rubbernecking a trainwreck with bullshit. and since we have convenient neighbors, ask the gm engineer why you have to put fuel in the tank, i am sure it has to do with battery life. btw, definitely pull the valve train, all shpuld be revealed.






/

[Dave_Darling]

Cold Start Valve.

--DD

[injunmort]

^your going to subscribe to this idiot?

[euro911]

Oh boy ...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[injunmort]

after 3pgs now the spark plugs are not firiing,really?
i thought he HOT SPARK or at least he claimed that

[Bulldog9]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) Whats in the water in the midwest?

[euro911]

Shouldn't be an issue (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/water-q...copper-in-water

[TheCabinetmaker]

" I see I've ignited quite a few passions with my non-firing spark plugs... (Forgive the bad pun.)"

Igniting passions does seem to be your favorite pastime.

[HAM Inc]

I checked the oil, and it is 1" above the high mark.

That much oil in the gas can kill the bearings.

IMO you need to find a shop that KNOWS 914's well before you damage the engine enough to require a complete rebuild, if you haven't already.

[andreic]

That much oil in the gas can kill the bearings.

That's why I decided to change the oil before trying to run the engine again.

IMO you need to find a shop that KNOWS 914's well before you damage the engine enough to require a complete rebuild, if you haven't already.

Unfortunately there is no shop around the area that knows 914's well. The one guy who was knowledgeable about them (Doug at Accumoto Motorsports) retired half a year ago, and moved to Florida. So I have to rely on myself and the helpful members of the world.

The engine gives no indication that anything inside the short block is wrong, and I don't think I've run it long enough and hard enough with bad oil to do damage inside. I think at the moment the main problem is with the FI system (which I hope to be able to diagnose soon, since most things have been checked out already). Whether or not that problem caused the cylinders to glaze irreparably will have to be decided after the problem with the FI is fixed.

[catsltd]

^your going to subscribe to this idiot?

I thought calling names was not allowed.????

Why bother to even post in this thread.
You have no intention of helping anyone,you make other people who are trying to help look and feel like there are idiots.
Everyone else is trying to help,.maybe not with the best suggestions but we are trying to help.

I feel sorry for you,going around with such a chip on your shoulder,must be hard to make friends or family.

[injunmort]

^here's your participation trophy thanks for playing with everyone else that gets nothing done. . you may now return to your safe place ,
it is still the tires, not the fi or rings that causes it to smoke. the op doesn't want help to solve a problem, he wants to increase his post count.

[76-914]

Sounds lie you sucked a Sea Gull into the intake on take off!